Triathlon and a dream to go to Kona

March 16, 2017March 19, 2017

9% incline? IS THAT A TYPO???

March 16, 2017 – I am thrilled to report that I am once again gainfully employed and training for IMLP is under way. In fact, I am 18 weeks away from the big dance at Lake Placid! It has been challenging to juggle the learning curve of a new job while ramping up training, but I have a loving support system and an amazing coach to keep me on track.

Training under my TriEqual coach, Maria Simone, has been a blast. She writes interval workouts that make me wonder if there is a typo. The first was when I saw 9% incline on the treadmill. I must admit, I have never touched that button. Does anyone? Why would they? There it is in my plan: 9%. So with any challenge, I just start and hope for the best. I play this game with myself where I set smaller goals within the work out. My goal is to just try. Hit that 9% button and if I can’t handle it, I can simply hit the 0%, right? As I am running at 9%, I think what will I say to Maria if I don’t complete this? Will she think I am a wimp, not serious about my goals? So, I push until the interval is over. Then I regroup, pick up my lung and keep running. Once I accomplish a small goal, the adrenalin kicks in, and I continue the training run with new vigor!

I’ve been running for about 9 years now. I’ve made some improvements, but have been more in maintenance mode for many years. I am amazed that with the proper coaching and some hard work, I am seeing improvements in my speed. A good friend just asked me, “As you get older do you expect to lose speed or just maintain?” My answer was, I expect to gain speed! I know that typically as you age, you lose speed, but I feel like I still have so much more to learn.

My recent track workout was targeting a 7:40 pace for a mile and 7:20 pace for a half mile. I can’t even remember the last time I tried to just run 1 mile for speed. Normally, I am running many miles at a moderate pace. Since I use a watch that works off GPS, it was hard to see my actual moving speed. I was beyond excited to see that I hit a 6:58 half mile and a 7:14 mile! Who knew??? My daughter recently took up track. She is not thrilled to be toward the back of the pack, but I keep reminding her that running is about your personal improvement. It takes time, patience, and coming out of that comfort zone sometimes. I can only hope and pray that she gains some of the benefits of running. Running has brought me so many things. From personal achievement, to fitness, to a healthier view of my body, to the most amazing and inspirational friends, to crazy adventures and stories, and most of all a passion that makes me feel alive!

My next goal…Can’t believe I am saying this because I am would need to really work hard…harder than Ironman training as speed is more challenging than distance…qualify for the Boston Marathon.